C. 0.
15822
Enclosure
7.
Hon: T.H. Whitehead to Captain Sterling A.D.C.
Dear Sir,
18 SEP 33!
416
Hong-Kong 2nd August 1893.
I have carefully considered your note of the 29th ultimo in which you inform me, by direction of His Excellency, that he cannot accept my suggestion to appoint a lay member on the Retrenchment Committee, that the Chief Justice has already intimated a desire to decline an appointment where he would be "bereft of all influence", and that the only alternatives seem to be a Commission of four members, or the abandonment of the Enquiry altogether.
May I be permitted in the first place to point out that His Excellency appears to have lost sight of my respectful suggestion that he might kindly wire to the Secretary of State informing His Lordship of the position, and requesting authority to appoint on the Commission others than Members of the Council, if a third Unofficial Member is not willing to serve. Until this is done I think it can scarcely be said that everything has been done to comply with His Lordship's wishes.
In the second place may I be allowed to say that I do not understand the meaning of the expression used by the Chief Justice, as described in your note. With a Commission composed of Mr. May, Mr. Chater, another Unofficial Member of Council, or some lay member, and myself, the Chief Justice would have all the influence due to his position,